EMC's Iomega division is readying a networked external hard drive for home users. The Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive is available in a 500GB or a 1TB configurations, runs EMC's LifeLine Linux distribution, and provides networked storage and media streaming services, says Iomega.

(Click for slightly larger view of the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive)

The Home Media drive is designed for network backup, as well as streaming of music, photos, video and other multimedia between PCs, networked TVs, game consoles and other devices, says Iomega. The 1TB drive can store four million photos, 18,500 hours of music, or 1500 hours of MPEG2 video, says the company.

The Home Media drive is equipped with Oxford Semiconductor's 810SE system-on-chip (SoC), which includes a 370MHz ARM926EJ-S core, a gigabit Ethernet MAC, and USB and SATA controllers (see block diagram below.) The drive device ships with 64MB of RAM, and either a 500GB or 1TB SATA II hard drive. Connectivity is limited to a gigabit Ethernet port and a USB 2.0 port. The chassis includes a fan with self-adjusting rotational speed, which is touted for its quiet operation.

Oxford 810SE processor block diagram
(Click to enlarge)

Like the recently released, SoHo-oriented Iomega StorCenter ix2, which offers dual SATA-II drives and RAID support, the Home Media drive runs EMC's LifeLine Linux distro, which is said to be packed with information management, security, and software sharing applications. LifeLine supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), enabling Home Media drive users to save, store, and play back music, photos, videos, and other digital content. UPnP and DLNA are widely supported by desktop applications, as well as by consumer electronics devices, home entertainment systems, cell phones, music players, and personal digital assistants (PDAs).

EMC's Retrospect Express backup and disaster reocvery software is also bundled, enabling scheduled automatic backups from attached Linux, Windows, or OS X Mac-based PCs. The software also incorporates “BSAFE” malware and virus protection from RSA, another company that has been folded into EMC. In addition, users receive 2GB of free online storage with EMC's MozyHome online backup service, which costs $5 a month for unlimited online storage.

Specs listed for the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive include:

• Processor — Oxford 810SE 370Mhz
• Memory — 64MB RAM
• Storage — 1 x SATA II hard drive (500GB or 1TB); 7200 RPM
• Online storage — MozyHome online backup service (2GB storage free)
• Networking — 1 x 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet port (RJ-45)
• USB — 1 x USB 2.0 port
• Device support:
  • Print server
  • Windows SMB (CIFS)
  • NFS
  • DLNA certified/UPnP devices
  • DMA support for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, ScreenPlay Pro HD, iTunes (Firefly)
• Backup software — EMC Retrospect Express HD backup and disaster recovery program (Linux, Windows, or Mac)
• Dimensions — 4.9 x 7.8 x 1.6 inches
• Weight — 2.45 lbs
• Operating system — EMC LifeLine Home Linux; compatible with Linux, Windows, and Mac OS PCs

Availability

The Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive 500GB is due to ship early this month for $160 (500GB) and $230 (1TB). More information may be found here.

 
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